Morona's Revenge
by Jacquera
Summary: When Jondalar brings Ayla home to the Ninth cave, Morona wants revenge. Please review.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Morona stormed into the forest, shouting and howling to the dark night sky, she moaned "I wait all these years, and then he comes back with some stupid animal woman."

Walking in circles, she thumped a tree, and shaking her hand in pain, she started to cry.

Leaning against the tree, she slipped down it, and head in her hands, she thought back to when he has promised to mate with her, "Jondalar, I love you, will you mate me?" she had asked him time and time before, but this time he had said "yes." She remembered as he had picked her up and whirled her around in his arms; it was the happiest day of her life. "Do you love me?" she had demanded and he had nodded "yes," though reflecting back, she remembered, he had frowned. And at the summer meeting, her matrimonial dress already on, she had found out he had left with Thonolan.

"Oh, if I could have been a doni" she whispered to herself, "I would have flown right to him and brought him back. But I couldn't, so I waited, one day, one week, two moons, four years, four long long years, I delayed my life for him, even refusing mating offers from some of the most eligible men, I always thought he would come back to me."

Seeing a small rabbit, hopping past, she kicked out her foot in frustration, "and then he brings her back with him, and ignores me, like I meant nothing" she muttered.

Mulling this all over, she suddenly grinned "can I hold him to the mating, he did promise" but then as quickly as her excitement raised, she slipped back down to the doldrums, "he's the mighty Jondalar, the leaders would always support him over me, they don't even like me."

Standing up, she started to walk again, in what direction, she didn't know, she didn't care.

Tears slipping down her face, she reflected on the injustice of it, "it's just not fair, I should be mating him, not her, oh I wish I could hurt him, like he has me."

"You want revenge" said a quiet voice, breaking through her anger, "I will help you."

Morona looked up, and saw a man leaning against a tree, he was smiling at her, and his eyes held an evil glint.

Walking up to him, she grinned, and responded, "I would like that very much."

Wrapping his arms around her, he stared down at her with hypnotic eyes, and he asked, "would you do anything, to get your retribution?"

She nodded, wondering what he meant, but then he was so beautiful she didn't care, "anything" she nodded.

He pulled her closer to him, he was so pale, and his teeth flashed when he smiled. Snuggling closer, "I want to damage him" she seethed.

"Well, why don't you tell me about him" he whispered in her ear, and released her.

Feeling distressed, at his absence, she looked at him yearningly, he mesmerized her, pondering for a moment, she remember who he was, "Jondalar" she spat.

"Well" he said, sitting down on an upturned tree, and patting the space beside him, "why don't you tell me all about Jondalar."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"I liked him from afar for a long time, he always had girls surrounding him, always being asked to perform first rites, so I watched him, and admired him and loved him. And then one day I got to meet him, and I saw that the beauty of the outside was followed by more on the inside, and I fell desperately in love. I would try to always be with him, and would push other girls out of the way, but that didn't matter because I wanted him. And then it became obvious he liked me too, he would do goofy things around me, and tease me about one thing or another, and when he first kissed me", she sighed "it was like the mother was singing in my head, and I knew then that we were meant to be, that we were two parts of one whole, that he was my spirit mate. When I got him to agree to mate me, I was so happy, and everyone else so jealous, but even then I could see his friends and family trying to dissuade him. But I thought it wouldn't work, and on the morning of our matrimonial, I was so contented, because he and I would be together for the rest of our lives.

She took a breath, "and then he was gone, on that same day, our matrimonial, and I had to explain to everyone, knowing they were laughing at the girl that thought she had caught the mighty Jondalar. But I thought I knew better, I thought he just wanted a bit of freedom, before he was tied down, that he needed the adventure and then he would be back for me. And I waited, never giving up hope, even when others thought he was probably dead, I knew my Jondalar would be back to claim me."

Staring down at her feet she continued, "but it didn't work out like that, he came back with a woman with so many obvious skills that I pale in comparison. He was so caught up in her, he didn't even notice me, I was nothing to him, after all those years I was insignificant, he had left me behind."

Taking her hands, he looked at her with such sorrow.

Sobbing now, she said, "he obviously didn't love me." She felt him draw her into an embrace, burying her head in his shoulder, she whimpered.

Drawing her into his embrace, he heard her whimper, "he left me behind."

Putting his lips to her neck, he kissed it, breathing in her essence, she muttered, "then he was a fool," and then opening his mouth, he sank his fangs deep into her throat.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She woke up with a scream, grabbing her throat, she felt something sticky, bringing her hands forwards, she looked, "blood," she whispered to herself. Hearing a chuckle, she spun around to see the man, horrified, she tried to pull herself up, but her legs were too weak and she fell down on the forest floor again, "what are you?" she demanded, "and what have you done to me?"

He smiled at her, "that is a long story" he told her.

"A long time ago, I lived with my mother, and her mate, I was her only child and she loved me beyond reason. Those times were so happy, playing with my friends, learning to hunt, eating my mothers' wonderful cooking. I remember the day it happened, it was the dead of winter, but the snow that had been relentless, that morning, when we looked out we saw it had ceased. We were so excited, and ran out of the stuffy, smelly cave, into the pristine snow covered valley. He laughed at this, such fun filled memories flickered before him, "that day, we built snowmen, had snowball fights, rode on fallen trees down the hills, and made snow mothers, and at the end of the day, each of us came back to the cave, with rosy cheeks, and covered in snow. That night, as the snow started falling again, we had a celebration to honour the mother for the respite she had given us."

Looking at Morona, with eyes not hypnotic anymore, but filled with sorrow, "he came in the middle of the night, a visitor, we thought, and were even more joyful, for we thought he would bring us stories of caves around us, stories that would entertain us for the rest of the cold winter. But then people started to disappear, a young mother would go to relieve herself, and not come back, at least she didn't come right back, and when she did she was different, and soon we were all changed, the whole cave, the Vampirii's were no more, no, we were just called the Vampires."

Morona gasped at this point of the story, she had heard countless tales about Vampires, since she was a child, stories she had thought meant to scare children into behaving themselves, about people being sucked dry and left dead in the snow, considering this for a moment, she said, "I'm not dead, you didn't suck me dry" looking at him with a mixture of fear, and expectation.

"No, you are dead," he said with finality, "You said you would do anything to make Jondalar pay, well, I've given you the chance, you are dead, but alive again, you are now a creature of the night, a Vampire too."

Morona chewed her lip in thought, noticing a tiny drop of blood pierced from her new fangs, she licked it and smiled, "please go on with your story," she urged him.

"Since that night, I have wondered the earth, from the place of my birth, and rebirth, to the endless sea, to the Mamutoi, to the Delenaii, back wards and forwards for more moons than you could count, always in the darkness, the monster that haunts the night, I would take a young woman here, a man there, best of all was when I found a lonely traveller on a journey. I sometimes see members of my cave, but we can't stand to remember what we were, and what we are now. And so I search, looking for people like me, with evil within them, people wanting revenge, desiring to hurt, needing to hunt, and I give them the tools of the trade, the ability to mesmerize their victim, super human strength, the ability to fly, and of course," he flashed his teeth as her, "a killer set of fangs."

"And so little one, you have all you need to have your retribution on your love Jondalar, and anyone else you like" he finished.


	4. Chapter 4

Watching the man fly away, he had taught her everything she needed to know, except his name, sighing she decided it was time t

Watching the man fly away, he had taught her everything she needed to know, except his name, sighing she decided it was time to subject the cave to her new skills. Laughing, she walked in the direction she had come, and soon was back at her home, and soon to be killing ground.

"Marona, Marona, she's okay" a voice yelled, and as she sauntered into the cave, she was confronted with a sea of faces, some visible upset, most just looked furious.

"Where have you been?" Johorran challenged her, "the cave has been out looking for you, you've been gone for a day."

"Have I?" Marona asked nonchalantly, she had seen his rage, but she would wait to show him hers. "I didn't realise, oh well, I'm here now, but it's nice you were worried about me" she sneered, and with that she cast him off and indifferently strolled to her hearth, leaving an extremely livid and irate leader behind.

And in her home that night she decided that Johorran would be her first victim.

--

The next day, Marona stayed within the confines of her hearth, hiding her head under a thick hide against the bright sunlight that filtered into the cave. But no one thought anything of this; it was Marona being her normally difficult self.

So that evening when she appeared, no one was bothered by her strange behaviour and when she got up and left the cave, no one blinked an eyelash.

Marona had seen Johorran leaving the cave, "probably going to relieve himself" she reflected, so she had decided to follow him. Walking with stealth, she stalked him and meeting him just as he was about to return, she smiled seductively at him.

"What are you doing here, Marona?" he challenged, "you know this area is only for the men, you shouldn't be here." Trying to push past her, he felt her small hand clamp over his wrist. Thinking he could just jerk it off, he tried, but found that her grip was decidedly strong. Looking at her with annoyance, he demanded "what do you want?"

"Why I want you, Johorran" she told him.

"Well, I'm not interested, you know I'm with Proleva." he responded.

"But, I'm interested, and that is all that matters, it doesn't matter what you want" she sadistically spoke.

"What do you mean by that?" he seethed.

"I mean this" she replied, and for the first time, she felt her teeth growing as her face changed.

Startled for a moment, he froze, but then realising his situation, he tried to run, but it was too late.

"You can run, but you can't hide," she sniggered, landing behind him, she threw him around to face her, seeing his terrified face, she revelled in the control she held over him, "say goodbye" she scoffed, as she sank her fangs into his neck, and sucked him dry.

Leaving his limp body where it had fallen on the ground, she kicked some snow to cover it, and wiping her mouth, headed back to the cave, pleased with her night's work.

--

The next night she decided to creep up on one of the young women asleep in her furs, careful to bite her where nobody would notice the cut, she watched the girl as she died, and the next day, she listened to the cries of a mother at the sudden death of her child. And Marona's heart was cold.


	5. Chapter 5

Watching the man fly away, he had taught her everything she needed to know, except his name, sighing she decided it was time t

And so she continued, night after night, she would pick them off. Eventually, they realised the deaths were unnatural, but they didn't suspect one of their own.

Zelendoni had called a meeting to discuss the murders, and Marona not wanting to look suspicious attended, looking as shocked and innocent as all the others in the cave.

"I don't know what is causing these deaths" the denier was saying, "but I believe it is caused by an evil spirit."

Marona sniggered at this, "me, an evil spirit?" she thought for a moment, "you better believe it," but she kept quiet.

Listening to the woman she heard her saying" We will have a ceremony to remove this malevolence from within us, so that life can return to the natural order." Marona felt worried about this, "could the spirits force me to leave the cave" she considered, "yeah, it's a possibility, I will have to do something about it."

Salivating as she watched the woman, she decided who would be her next prey.

That night she observed Zelendoni leave to prepare herself for the ritual, following her, she called out to her when she was far enough away from the cave, "Zelendoni, should you be out here on your own, what if the evil tries to take you?"

Zelendoni looked at the annoying woman, "I am too powerful" she turned around to pick some soap root, "the spirit would never dare to try", turning back around she was shocked that Marona had managed to creep up to her.

"You should never, say never" she murmured, as she reached out for the woman.

Seeing Marona's face change, she realised her mistake, "stay away from me" she cried, but Marona pursued the waddling woman.

"You're not fast enough to get away from me" she snorted at the fat woman, as she pulled her jelly like neck towards her seeking mouth. Lapping on the blood, she muttered, "err, fat, you have fat in your blood." Kicking the nearly dead woman away, she sneered "so, you didn't manage to rid the cave of the evil spirit, did you?

And the last thing the donier heard was the Vampire saying, "And now the cave has no protection from me, they are mine."

By the dead of winter, there were only three souls left, Jondalar, Ayla and Marona, the former two grieving for their dead friends and family, the latter, anticipating the end of her dark mission.

"No one is to leave the cave on their own" Jondalar instructed them, "I will see no more deaths."


	6. Chapter 6

Watching the man fly away, he had taught her everything she needed to know, except his name, sighing she decided it was time t

When winter was nearly over, Ayla asked Marona to come with her so she could bathe.

"I just feel so sticky" she told her.

Looking towards the entrance of the cave, Marona saw cascading snow, "we'll go when it stops snowing" she told her.

Later on that day, with the night come and the snow stopped, Marona came to Jondalar and Ayla, "do you still want to have that bath?" she enticed her. Seeing her enemy look doubtfully outside, she coerced her by saying, "nothing will happen to us out there if we are together." Marona, nearly crowed with happiness, when she saw her nod.

Marona stood at the bank, watching the woman have her last swim, "she might as well be clean" she chortled, anticipating the blood of her foe slipping down her throat. Observing that it was nearly time, as she saw the woman head towards her, she picked up the hide Ayla had brought with her, and as she arose out of the water, she wrapped it around her shoulders. "You know" she said as she watched the other woman dress, after all we have been through this winter, I would really like to apologise for how I was when you arrived." Seeing the woman shrug her shoulders in acceptance, she continued, "I would really like for us to be friends, I have always secretly liked you." Seeing that Ayla was touched by this, she continued, "what do you say, kiss and make up?" opening her arms

Ayla pondered over this, "there's been so much death, I think we all need a little bit of hope in the future" she told her, "yes, I will be your friend," stepping forward she threw her arms around Marona and hugged her.

This was Marona's opportunity, "a kiss" she said "of eternity" and holding her tight, she bit into the woman, throwing her on the floor, left her for dead.

Skipping back to the cave, Marona could only think one thing, "Ayla is dead, and Jondalar is mine."

She saw the worry on Jondalar's face.

"Where's Ayla" he asked.

Shrugging she said "I left her at the river."

Jondalar in fright for his mate, started to make for outside, but Marona stepped in front of him, about to shove her aside, he looked into her eyes and was mesmerised.

She encircled him, walking around and around, now was her time to tell him exactly what she thought of him "Jondalar, Jondalar, wonderful Jondalar, did you really think you would get away with leaving me behind, with promising to mate me, but bringing that animal woman back to the cave, Jondalar Jondalar, I won't let you get away with it" she was walking around him, with menace, she was so close, but she did not touch him.

For a second, the spell broke "where's Ayla, Marona" he demanded.

"She's dead" she laughed "dead like everyone else, but not you pretty Jondalar, not you," pulling him back into her hypnotic gaze, she continued "I have other plans for you."

Changing into her vampire face, she grabbed him, "so pretty" she muttered as she went for his neck.

She was suddenly pushed to the floor, turning she saw Ayla, covered in blood, towering over here with rage.

"It was you, all along it was you" she accused.

Laughing Marona arose, and shoved Ayla making her fall, but where she had fallen, she disturbed a digging stik, that arched up into the air, and came down, finding itself buried in the Vampire's chest.

Marona, shocked for a moment just had time to say "oops" before she exploded into a cloud of dust.

The couple walked out into the night, hand in hand, they strolled down the path towards them. Everyone else in the cave but they had survived. Brushing of the grime from Marona, they started on their long hike, to the nearest cave. As they reached the nearest hill, they looked back at their old home, to see the sun appearing over it.

The End.


End file.
